In Uganda, childhood is not a carefree time in one's life. It is the growth of a terrified being. James, and his two brothers, were no exception to this unsigned law. At just 11 years old, James and his two brothers were captured by Uganda forces called the Lord's Resistence Army. They were brutalized and taught to kill. As one of the three was caught trying to escape, James was forced to brutally kill his younger brother. During his entrapment James and his remaining brother saw many other young boys hacked to death, brutalized, or starved to death. The abuse of the LRA victim soldiers was unthinkable, and left James in a hazardous emotional state.
Thankfully ChildVoice rescued James and is helping to rehibilitate him, and salvage what is left of his childhood. The look in his eyes now, after his experiences is described as 'deadened', which is not surprising considering the horrors that follow the young boy.
Above is a summary of an the story of James, the 11 year old captive of the LRA. I first found his story here.
I left out graphic details and horrific recalls of this and similar stories, but the truth is, in places like Uganda the horrible enslavement of child soldiers is as real a presence as oxygen on earth. I've spoke about this crisis before, and I will address it again in the future.
All I am asking of you is that you join the efforts around the world to end child slavery, captivity, and brutality. To see what you can do to this effect, follow this link. Please remember to pass this on, raising awareness is the only way to help these children, and the millions devasted by these events every day.
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"Invisible Children" Is a good documentary to watch, for those of you who have not seen it.
"All people are smart,
but it is up to them to figure that out."
-ME